Steam-regenerator.



H. McNULTA. STEAM REGENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21 1912. 1, 1 29,21 '7. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 14 'HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTOLITHO.. WASHINGTON, D C.

H. MGNULTA.

STEAMREGENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 21, 1912.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2943b an M IHE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHoTc-LlTHa. WASHINGTONv D. C

H. McNULTA.

STEAM REGENEBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1912.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3SHEETS-SHEET a.

ffifiTE-F L 1? I1 Q N WW L WITNESSES 1/11! mom/fr THE NdRRIS PETERS CO-. PHOm-LlTHO-, WASHINGYUN D. C.

HERBERT MCNULTA, OF CI-IICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNEBASSIGNMENTS, TO RATEAU STELA1V-REGENERATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, ..'N. Y.,.A-CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

STEAM-REGENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Application filed'March 21, 1912. Serial No. 685,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HERBERT MONULTA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Regenerators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to steam regenerators which'utilize water as the heat absorbing and steam regenerating liquid. In apparatus of this type it is essential that the steam entering the chamber or chambers holding said water be thoroughly and intimately mixed with the water so that when steam is delivered to said chamber or chambers in excess of that being delivered from the regenerator the excess heat in the steam will be absorbed so as to be given off at a subsequent period when the steam supply to the regenerator is less than that required to be delivered therefrom.

One of the objects of the present invention is to construct a simple and efficient regenerator in which the amount ofwater that is brought into intimate contact with the steam passing through the regenerator will be dependent upon the amount of steam that is delivered to the chambers containing the water.

It has heretofore been common to construct regenerators with a steam receiving chamber for receiving the incoming steam prior to its entrance into the chamber or chambers holding the regenerating liquid, namely, water, and the last mentionedchamber or chambers are hereinafter referred to as the regenerating chamber or chambers. There are times, however, when the pressure in the steam receiving chamber may exceed the pressure within the regenerating chamber or chambers beyond certain desired amounts and also when the reverse conditions may exist. To relieve this excess pressure and permit a flow of steam from said receiving chamber to the regenerating chamber or chambers or vice versa a valve controlled passageway is provided between said steam receiving chamber on the one hand and the regenerating chamber or chambers on the other.

The invention is directed to a construction whichrealizes the objects above expressed as well as many others and the invention consists of the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be'exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification. The scope of the invention will be indicated in the following claims.-

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view partially in section of one form of the apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 1s a plan view partiallyin section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing the construction comprising the means of different sizes for causing an intimate mixing of the water and steam. Figs. 4 and 5 arevertical sectional views taken at right angles to each other showing another form of means which may be employed formixing the water and steam. Fig. A} being a view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 6 is a view showing how the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 may be placed in a regenerating chamber. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively side and plan views of a double-beat valve for permitting the flow of steam from the steam re ceiving chamber to the regenerating chamber or chambers when the pressure in the former exceeds by a certain amount that in the latter and also for permitting a flow in the opposite direction when the pressure in the regenerating chambers exceeds by a certain amount that in the steam receiving chamber.

The steam regenerating apparatus illustrated in both Figs. 1 and 6 comprises a lower tank or header 8 and the upper tank providing the two regenerating chambers 4: and the steam receiving chamber 9 which is located between said regenerating chambers 4. The incoming steam enters the header 8 through the pipes 2 and 3 and passes upwardly from the header through the pipe 10 into the steam receiving chamber 9. From this steam receiving chamber the steam passes through suitable pipes, which will be hereinafter described, into the regenerating chambers 4. The regenerating chambers are provided with the outlets 5 for the steam leaving the regenerating apparatus. The water which is utilized as the medium for absorbing the heat of the excess steam and as the steam regenerating liquid is located in the regenerating chambers t and the top surface line of the water is indicated as by the broken dot and dash line 24 in Fig. 1.

As has been previously indicated it is desirable that the steam entering the regener ating chamber or chambers be thoroughly and intimately mixed with the water in said chamber or chambers. The construction whereby this is accomplished will now be described.

By reference to Figs. 1 to 3 it will be observed that the steam which normally flows from the steam receiving chamber 9 to the regenerating chamber or chambers 4 passes through one or more of the steam conducting pipes 6, 6, etc. The upper inlet end of these pipes is located within the upper portion of the steam receiving chamber 9 somewhat above the water level 24?. The lower end of each of these steam conducting pipes is provided with a nozzle, as 7 or 7 which is below the water level. Each of the nozzles, as 7, 7 7 etc., extends into a corresponding water suction and-mixed-steamand-water-delivering pipe 7 which has been arbitrarily so-called because it comprises the lower depending portion, as 17, 17, 17 that constitutes a portion through which the water is sucked upwardly to a position where the water is mixed with the steam flowing from the nozzle, as well as the longitudinally extending portion, as 18, 18 or .18 through which the steam and water flow after they have been thoroughly and intimately mixed. From the longitudinally extending portions 18, 18' and 18 etc., the water is delivered upon the top of a horizontally extending perforated s1 ray plate 19 which is provided with upturned edges as 2020, 20-22. Each of these water-suction-and-mixedsteam-and-water-delivering pipes also comprises a throat, as 17*" or 17, into which the steam is directed from one of the nozzles. The nozzle and throat thus provide a construction that causes the water to be sucked upwardly through the depending portions, as 17 or 17 when the steam is flowing to the regenerating chamber or chambers 41:. When no steam is flowing into the regenerating chamber or chambers, the lower ends of the steam conducting pipes are liquid sealed by the water in said chambers as is manifest from an inspection of the drawings. The normal water level 2 1 is determined by the usual overflow. This overflow is indicated in Fig. 1 by reference character 23 and comprises a pipe which extends from one of the regenerating chambers 4 to the lower portion of the header 8. The upper end 24: of the overflow is as high as the upper interior portion of the highest nozzle as 7 There is a sight-glass 25 on the tank so that the height of the water may be observed.

The form of construction shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 is similar in many respects to that just described. In the last mentioned form there are steam conducting pipes, as 0", 6 etc., with nozzles, as 7, 7, etc. The inlet end of each of the pipes is in the upper portion of the steam receiving chamber 9 while the nozzles are all below the top of the water in the regenerating chamber and consequently are water sealed when steam is not flowing into the regenerating chambers 4. These nozzles extend into the water-suctionand-mixed-steam-and-water-delivering pipes 7". The depending water suction portions of these pipes are denoted by 17 17", etc, the throats by 17 17 etc., and the mixed steam and water delivering portions as by 18' The portions indicated by 18" extend upwardly and deliver the water upon the top of the perforated spray plate 19 which is located above the regenerating liquid.

In both forms of construction just described it will be observed that the lower ends of the depending suction pipes are arranged at various heights and in various lateral positions relative to each other whereby liquid can be withdrawn from the body of water at several different places. It will also be observed that the nozzles in each regenerating chamber are arranged at various heights within the regenerating chambers whereby when only a small amount of steam is to pass from the steam receiving chamber 9 to the regenerating chambers it will pass through only the upper one or more nozzles, the other nozzles being practically sealed by the greater depth of water above them.

The steam passes through all of the nozzles only when a sufiicient difference in pressure exists between the steam receiving chamber and regenerating chambers to force out of and away from all of the nozzles the water in the regenerating chamber that seals the nozzles when thesteam is not flowing therethrough. hen the sealing water is then forced out of and away from the nozzles by the steam the bodies of water which are in the mixed steam and water delivering portions as 1.8 of Fig. 1 or 18" of Fig. (3 are The steam and waof Fig. 1, or 7" of zles 7 7 etc. This ring serves as a means to increase the suction or drawing efl'ect of the steam passing through the nozzles and also aids in thoroughly mixing the steam and water together whereby thelatter may be conveyed to the point desired with a proper interchange of heat between the steam and water While in transit.

In Fig. 3 a construction is illustrated which is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the steam conductingpipes 6 6 and 6 are smaller in diameter than the steam conducting pipes 63 and 6 The small conducting pipes have their nozzles at the terminals thereof at a higher elevation than the noz zles at the terminals of the large conductingpipes, in order to provide only comparatively small passageways for steam when only a small amount of steam is flowing from the steam receiving chamber to the regenerating chamber. The large steam conducting pipes are provided so that comparatively few conducting pipes can take care of the large flow of steam which sometimes takes place in the apparatus. Of course the watersuction-and-miXed-steamand-water-delivering pipes used in the latter construction correspond in sizeto the steam conducting pipes 6 to 6.

Reference will now be made to Fig. 1. In this figure it will be noted that between the steam receiving chamber 9 on the one hand and the interior of the regenerating or liquid containing chambers 4 on the other, there is provided a passageway 11 controlled by the valve 12 which closes the passageway when the difierence in pressure between the said steam receiving chamber and the regencrating chambers 4 does not exceed a certain amount. This valve 12 is held up by the compression spring 13 or counterweight and pushed down by the weighted lever 14. It will thus be apparent that when the pressure within the steam receiving chamber exceeds by a certain amount that within the regenerating chambers the valve 12 will be lifted, thereby permitting the passage of steam from the steam receiving chamber 9 to the regenerating chambers, and that when the pressure within the regenerating chambers exceeds by a certain amount that within the expansion chamber the valve will be depressed thereby permitting the flow of steam from the regenerating chambers to the steam receiving chamber. It will furthermore be observed that there is a direct passageway 15 between the tops of the interior portions of the regenerating chambers 4, both of which are located within the same shell. Between the lower portions of the regenerating chambers 4 there is a passageway or pipe 16 that serves as a means for maintaining the water within both regenerating chambers at the same level.

The regenerating apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is provided with the double-beat valve construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The valve 12 normally occupies the position shown in full, lines in Fig. 6 and thus prevents the flow of steam from the upper chamber of the steam receiving means to the regenerating chambers and vice versa. The valve construction is such that when the pressure in the regenerating chambers exceeds by a certain amount that in the steam receiving chamber 9 it will force down the valve 12 against the pressure of the counterweight 12 to the lower dotted position shown in Fig. 6 or the position indicated by full lines in Fig. 7. This construction also comprises a supporting frame 12 which is secured tothe plate between the steam receiving chamber 9 and the regenerating chambers 4 and on this frame there are pivotally mounted the levers l2 and 12 The lever 12 is connected by the pin 12 and the link 12 to the valve stem 12 and the counterweight 12 on the end of the lever always tends to force the valve upward. Normally the valve 12 is held in the middle position against the upward pressure exerted by the counterweight 12 by the engagement of the pin 12 at the end of the lever 12 with the lever 12 which is fulcrumed on the frame 12 and which is provided with the counterweight 12. When the valve 12 is forced upwardly from the normal middle position by the steam the link .12 and the pin 12 which pin 12 is then in engagement with the lever 12 force the lever 12 and weight 12 along with the valve. When the valve 12 is in its normal or middle position the lever 12 engages the stop 12 which serves as a support for the free end of the lever whereby when the valve 12" is moved downwardly from the normal position the pin 12 will disengage the lever 12 so that said lever and counterweight 12 will not exert any pressure on the valve and so that the counterweight 12 will be free to oppose the steam tending to force the valve downwardly.

The improvements herein set forth are not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described and may be embodied in various forms and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a regenerating chamber containing water and having a steam outlet, a steam receiving chamber having a steam inlet, a nozzle upon the delivery end of a steam conducting pipe leading from the steam receiving chamber, said pipe having an intake portion within the steam receiving chamber, which intake portion is higher than the nozzle, said nozzle being arranged to direct steam into the interior of another pipe into which water is sucked and along which said water when mixed with the steam is forced, by the steam flowing from the steam receiving chamber, to the upper interior portion of the regenerating chamber.

2. A steam regenerating apparatus including the combination of a regenerating chamber containing liquid, a steam receiving chamber, steam conducting pipes leading from the steam receiving chamber and provicled at their terminals with nozzles, watersuction-and-miXed-steam-and-water-delivery pipes located within the regenerator chamber and leading to and from said nozzles, said last mentioned pipes being arranged so that the entrance ends of at least a part thereof are at a diiierent elevation from that of the entrance ends of others thereof.

3. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a regenerating chamber, a steam receiving chamber, steam conducting pipes leading from the interior of the steam receiving chamber to the interior of the regenerating chamber, said steam conducting pipes having a number of nozzles arranged indifferent lateral positions and at different elevations, said nozzles being arranged so as sto direct steam into pipes or conduits into which water is sucked from the lower portion of the regenerating chamber and through which water is forced by said steam into the upper portion of the regenerating chamber.

4. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a regenerating chamber having a steam outlet, steam conducting pipes leading thereto and provided with nozzles which are arranged at different heights within the chamber and water-suc tion and-miXed-steam-and-water-delivering pipes within which said nozzles direct the steam that flows from said steam conducting pipes, said water-suction-and-miXed-steamand-water-delivering pipes being located within said regenerator chamber.

5. A steam regenerating apparatus, including in combination a regenerating chamber, pipes for conducting steam thereto and provided with nozzles arranged at difi'erent heights within the chamber, and water-suction and-miXed-steam-andwaterdelivering pipes located within the regenerating chamber and leading to and from the nozzles.

6. A steam regenerating apparatus comprising in combination a regenerating chamber containing liquid, a steam conducting pipe leading thereto which is provided at the terminal with a nozzle that is located within the chamber, and a pipe comprising a portion leading from the lower interior portion of the regenerating chamber to the nozzle so as to convey the liquid that is suclred into the steam flowing from said nozzle, said last mentioned pipe also comprising a mixed steam and water delivering portion leading from the nozzle which last mentioned portion terminates above the nozzle.

7. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a regenerating cha1nber, a steam outlet, a water overflow outlet, a steam conducting pipe provided at the terminal with a nozzle located within the regenerating chamber, which nozzle is at a lower elevation than the water overflow outlet, and a pipe comprising a portion leading from the lower portion of the interior of the regenerating chamber to the nozzle and also comprising a portion leading from the nozzle to an elevation higher than the nozzle.

8. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a regenerating chamber having a horizontally extending spray plate therein, a steam conducting pipe leading to the interior of said regenerating chamber, a steam outlet at a higher elevation than the terminal of the steam conducting pipe, a water-suction-and-miXed-steamand-waterdelivering pipe leading to and from the terminal of said steam conducting pipe, said water-suction-and-miXed-steamand-water-delivering pipe being arranged so that water can be sucked into and carried through said pipe by the steam flowing to the interior of said chamber and also being arranged so that the water flowing therefrom will be projected therefrom to the top of said spray plate which is located at a higher elevation than said terminal of said steam conducting pipe.

9. A steam regenerator including in combination a steam receiving chamber, a regenerator chamber containing liquid, steam conducting pipe leading from the former to the latter and a passageway between the upper portion of said chambers, which passageway is normally closed by a valve constructed so that when the pressure in the steam receiving chamber exceeds the pressure in the regenerating chamber by a certain amount the valve will automatically open to permit the flow of steam through said passageway and so that when the pressure in the regenerating chamber exceeds the pressure in the steam receiving chamber the valve will also automatically open to permit flow of steam through said passageway.

10. A steam regenerating a 'iparatus including in combination a horizontal shell providing regenerating chambers each containing regenerating liquid and also providing therein a steam receiving chamber, the steam spaces above the regenerating liquid in the regenerating chambers being connected by means providing a steam passageway extending from one regenerating chamber to the other, the regenerating apparatus also having means which provide a passageway for connecting the lower portions of the regenerating chambers in order to maintain the regenerating liquid in both chambers at substantially the same level.

11. A steam regenerating apparatus including in combination a horizontal shell containing two ormore bodies of regenerating liquid separated by a receiving chamber for steam, the steam spaces above the bodies of regenerating liquid havingasteampassage between them, a passageway connecting the lower portions containing the bodies of regenerating liquid to maintain the bodies of liquid at substantially the same level and a valve in a passageway between the steam receiving chamber and the steam spaces above the liquid, which valve is constructed so as to open when the difference in pressure of the steam in the receiving chamber and in the space above the regenerating liquid eX- ceeds a certain amount.

12. In a steam regenerating apparatus a steam receiving chamber, a regenerating chamber, steam conducting pipes of different sizes leading from the receiving chamber to the regenerating chamher, the delivery end of the smaller conducting means being located higher than the delivery end of the larger conducting pipes, and water-suction-and-mixed-steamand-water delivering pipes cooperatively related to the steam conducting pipes.

13. A steam regenerating apparatus ineluding in combination a horizontal shell containing two or more bodies of regenerating liquid separated by a receiving-chamber for steam, the steam spaces above the bodies oi regenerating liquid having a steam passage between them, a passage-way connecting the lower portions containing the bodies of regenerating liquid to maintain the bodies of liquid at substantially the same level and a valve in a passage-way between the steamreceiving chamber and the steam spaces above the liquid, said valve comprismg a supporting frame, a movable valve member, a counterweight normally forcing the valve member upwardly, a second counterweight normally tending to hold the valve member from its upward movement, means whereby when the valve member is moved downwardly in normal position it will be disconnected from the second counterweight and means whereby when the valve member is moved upwardly from normal position the second counterweight Will be lifted and the first counterweight will be lowered.

This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of Mch. A. D. 1912.

HERBERT McNULTA.

Signed in the presence of W. l). MANSFIELD, LILLIAN MANSFIELD.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents.

v Washington, D. G. 

